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Math

This fall I’ve been working my way through Jo Boaler’s book, Mathematical Mindsets (2015). Boaler has authored fourteen books, numerous research articles and is currently a Mathematics Education Professor at Stanford University. Her resources and philosophies about education have been very inspiring to me; they are changing the way I think about math, talk about math, and teach math. In the opening chapters of Mathematical Mindsets, Boaler outlines and dispels common myths that most of us have believed about math. She argues that these myths inhibit learning. I think many...Read more

Great Stories. Great Graduates. A special interview featuring a mother-daughter duo.

Benjamin Franklin once said, "An education is the investment with the greatest returns." A friend of mine who sent her daughter to Rossman years ago is always quick to share that it was one of her best investments. Funny thing is, her Rossman alum daughter now enjoys a burgeoning career in NYC in the field of investments. As head of school, I am always curious to learn what families value in a Rossman education, so I enthusiastically took the opportunity to interview this mother...Read more

Great Stories. Great Graduates.

It is my honor to introduce you to another incredible Rossman alumnus who truly makes a positive impact everywhere he goes. I had the opportunity to catch up with Sohan Kancherla as he began the second semester of his freshman year at Harvard University. Enjoy the following interview with a humble young man who embodies the Rossman mission of commitment to excellence.

What are fractions? If you ask a third grader, they can tell you. We recently learned the parts of a fraction, compared fractions, drew fractions, converted improper fractions into mixed fractions, and much more. After spending weeks learning about fractions, we wanted to reinforce some of what the students learned in a fun and creative way.

Papa Johns Pizza was very willing to help our students with this project by donating 27 empty pizza boxes. Our students were asked to do the following:

This is one of the most common questions that math teachers get asked. While some teachers find this question a nuisance, I think it is actually one of the best inquiries a student can make. I believe that students learn best when they have a genuine interest in and purpose for the material they’re learning. One way that I generate interest and purpose in math class is by having students complete math projects. Let me bring the term “math project” to life by walking you through our most recent one.

Junior Kindergarten naturally incorporates STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) throughout the school day. This solid foundation for a Rossman education is built through play and developmentally appropriate learning opportunities. As teachers, we provide the materials and initiate the activities, but it is important to know when to step back and allow a child’s natural curiosity, interest and problem solving skills to take over. Excitement for learning is evident as the...Read more

STEAM is a buzz word in art education. It refers to adding art and design into the STEM subjects of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. The goal is for these subjects to work together and influence innovation among students. It is exciting to see how cross-curricular work can help students make connections, ask good questions and discover more about different subjects.

After seeing a display of artwork at the University of Michigan with the subject matter of scientific cells, I was inspired to see how Rossman’s science and art curriculum could work together to create a STEAM...Read more

The Senior Kindergarten class last year embarked on a journey offering every student an opportunity to learn and implement computer science. While offering opportunities in critical thinking, logic, persistence and creativity, students are learning to excel in every subject!

When Becky Taylor, Rossman’s technology coordinator, invited us to look into this program, we quickly embraced the values and are taking further steps to implement coding into our process of learning. Oftentimes we refer to “...Read more

Outstanding ability in mathematics recently earned Rossman School sixth graders Alex Bahr, Christopher Braggs, Grant Dahl, Ryan Hardwick, Jason Klutho, and Jonathan Lee the ranking of first place in the Missouri Math League Annual Sixth Grade Contest. The six-member team, generated by combining the school’s top personal test scores, outperformed 24 other Missouri schools to obtain the state champion title. The win is the third in Rossman’s history, the first two having been in 2006 and 2014. Individually, the students on this year’s first place team ranked second (tie), 9th, 11th, and 17th...Read more

Rossman strives to provide a traditional education with innovation. Woven throughout the school’s program are innovative projects such as the sixth grade symbolizing heroes through ceramic art pieces, the third grade building rotational symmetry with LEGOs in art, and the fifth grade experimenting in science with motorized Scribble Bot machines to name a few. Innovation occurs when teachers communicate and inspire each other with new ideas.

Summer is the perfect time to continue innovative projects for children. Passions can be captured, and there is time to “play”, create,...Read more